The Meet

South Dakota track and field travels to Brookings for the SDSU Last Chance meet inside the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex. It will be the final regular season competition for the Coyotes indoors and a chance to race at the site of the Summit League Championships. There are no fans allowed at the meet.
 

The Coyotes

South Dakota men's track and field cracked the USTFCCCA's national rankings this week to move to No. 22 in the nation. The Coyote men are led by the nation's top pole vault squad with four men in the top-26 of the national standings. Senior Ethan Bray tops the group with last weekend's personal best vault of 18-5 ¼ (5.62) that earned him Summit League Field Athlete of the Week honors. Also earning league honors on the track were sophomore Brithton Senior after a season-best performance 7.79 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles and freshman Sara Reifenrath who broke a 20-year-old school record in the 400 meters by clocking 54.33 seconds.
 

The NCAA Watch

South Dakota currently has six athletes in position to qualify for the NCAA Championships in March. The top-16 athletes in each event following the conference championship weekend will qualify for the three-day meet in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The athletes currently in position are Bray in the pole vault (4th), freshman Eerik Haamer in the pole vault (7th), Senior in the 60-meter hurdles (10th), sophomore Carly Haring in the high jump (12th), junior Jack Durst in the high jump (13th) and sophomore Gen Hirata in the pole vault (13th). South Dakota qualified five athletes a year ago, which was the most USD has ever advanced to the national indoor meet.
 

The League Leaders

The Coyotes currently lead the Summit League in 12 of 32 events this season.
 
Men's 60-meter hurdles: Brithton Senior, 7.79 seconds
Women's 200 meters: Sara Reifenrath, 23.71 seconds# (adjusted from 24.07 for track size)
Women's 400 meters: Sara Reifenrath, 54.33 seconds
Men's High Jump: Jack Durst, 7-0 ½ or 2.15m
Women's High Jump: Carly Haring, 5-10 ¾ or 1.80m
Men's Pole Vault: Ethan Bray, 18-5 ¼ or 5.62m
Women's Pole Vault: Gen Hirata, 14-1 ¼ or 4.30m
Men's Triple Jump: Jacob Jenkins, 49-1 ½ or 14.97m
Women's Pentathlon: Holly Gerberding, 3,739 points
Women's 4x400-meter relay: Holly Gerberding, Madison Jochum, Danielle Thompson, Sara Reifenrath, 3:47.11# (adjusted from 3:50.12 for track size)
Men's Distance Medley: Brendan Scott, Lionel McPhaull Jr., Dylan Blake, Braden Peters, 10:42.09# (adjusted from 10:50.81 for track size)
Women's Distance Medley: Kelsi Kearney, Haley Arens, Brigit Blote, McKenna Herrmann, 12:29.60# (adjusted from 12:37.63 for track size)
 

One Last Thing

South Dakota saw six updates to the Coyote Top-10 last weekend in Topeka, including a new school record in the women's 400 meters set by Sara Reifenrath clocking 54.33 seconds.